1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a substantially child-resistant safety overcap particularly adapted for use on aerosol containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of different types of closures for containers which carry toxic and harmful substances has been developed over the years. Recent Federal regulations have emphasized the need for simple, economical, childproof caps and closures for containers with harmful substances therein. Much effort has recently been devoted to perfecting suitable childproof overcaps for aerosol containers since these types of containers frequently carry such toxic materials as insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, paints, lacquers, glass and metal cleaners, and numerous other substances which could be harmful to children if ingested by them.
Many of the previously proposed childproof overcaps, particularly overcaps for aerosol containers, are complicated in their manner of operation to the extent that they are difficult for adults to operate and thus have not found ready acceptance in the marketplace. Other types of overcaps are readily operable by adults, but are of complex construction, thus rendering them uneconomical to produce. Numerous child-resistant aerosol overcaps have been developed which require the use of extra tools or instruments, such as a screwdriver, for detaching the overcap from the container. These pose an inconvenience to the adult user and also may not be completely child-resistant. Safety caps using multiple components have not found ready acceptance because of the complexity of the caps and their high cost, together with the necessity of involving a substantial amount of hand labor or new machinery in assembling the caps and attaching them to the containers.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a real need in the marketplace for a simple, economical, readily manufactured safety cap, particularly an overcap for an aerosol container, which obviates the disadvantages found heretofore in many of the prior art safety closures.